Gordeau Desert, the rgest desert ihe Uates of Saherta, c vast area at the outskirt, was the perfect testing ground. Just as he had expected, the momeepped into the desert’s boundaries, a familiar progress bar appeared in his mind, signaling the start of a new Pokémon breeding process. Larry wasn’t surprised, just pleased. Given the sheer size and unique enviro of Gordeau Desert, it made perfect sense for a new Pokémon to be born here.

  The only question was—whion would it be? Despite the vast, arid expanse of sand, the desert was not devoid of life. Many people had made it their home, building aire tourism industry around the desert’s unique ndscape and resources.

  As Larry approached the city standing at the desert’s edge, Mardiya City, he took i bck-brown walls that surrou. They did a great job of keeping most of the swirling sand and dust at bay, with only a few stray grains making their way through the cracks aling intotten ers of the city.

  Onside, Larry noticed an iiail—almost everyone, whether locals or tourists, dressed the same. White, loose-fitting clothing domihe streets, helping to reduce heat absorption uhe scorg sun. Many people ed their heads with bandage-like cloths, resembling the traditional Middle Eastern attire ba Earth. The long exposure to the relentless desert sun had also tanned most of the locals’ skin to a deep brown shade.

  Larry chuckled to himself. If the hip-hop guy from before were here, he’d probably blend in perfectly. Due to the desert's vastness, the locals had domesticated creatures to serve as transportation. Among them, the most ount was the three-humped camel—a variant of the Earth camel but with ara hump for increased endurand water ste.

  The additional hump meant it could travel even longer distances without needing to stop, making it the ideal mode of transport for tourists and traders alike. Despite its slow pace, the three-humped camel was a reliable panion, well-suited to the harsh desert climate, and cheap to maintain—qualities that made it the bae of the local ey.

  As Larry watched the camels leisurely plodding along the dusty streets, he recalled what the old man at the rental shop had told him earlier. After riding for a while, he realized the old man was right—the camels were steady, resilient, and fortable. But there was one major fw. They were slow. Painfully slow. Riding o like apanying an old man on a casual evening stroll. Fhtseeing, it erfect. But for speed? Absolutely useless.Still, Larry wasn’t in a rush. He was here to take in the sights and observe the Pokémon breeding process, so he let the camel carry him through the city at its leisurely pace while the progress bar in his mind ticked forward bit by bit.

  Mardiya City rawling, but its buildings were sparse and low. Most structures were simple, squat bungalows with thick, khaki-colored walls desigo bat the intense heat and swirling dust. These earthen buildings were usually no more than one or two stories tall, blending into the ndscape like they had risen straight from the desert floor. The thick outer walls were dotted with tiny holes and narrow windows, a clever architectural trick to keep the interiors cool aed.

  Aesthetically, the city wasn’t much to look at, but Larry’s real i y in the bustling market distriear the city ter. Siourism was the driving force behind Mardiya City’s ey, everything here revolved around serving travelers. Hotels, homestays, and camel rental shops were on nearly every street er. But the true heart of the city was the market.

  Arriving at the market district, Larry noticed an immediate ge—there were far more people here than anywhere else iy. Vendors lined both sides of the narrow streets, some operating from proper storefronts, while others simply set up makeshift stalls under rge white cloths for shade. The air was filled with the sound of merts hawking their goods, each shouting louder tha to draw in potential ers.

  “Freshly grilled sand wall lizard—crispy outside, tender inside! Only 500 Jinis per skewer!”“Juicy multi-ball cacti—your camel’s favorite treat! Buy now a a dist!”“The famous Samok sandworm stew! Sweet and delicious, and it’s said to boost your... vitality!”

  Larry’s first impression of the market? Food. Lots and lots of food. Despite most of the s being lizards and worms, it didn’t bother him in the slightest. On the trary, he found the unique local cuisiriguing.

  Without hesitation, Larry bought a dried sand wall lizard, gnawing on its crispy exterior as he strolled through the market. In his other hand, he held a piece of sandworm meat, sav its surprisingly rich, tender fvor. The moment he heard about the sandworm's supposed "vitality-boosting" effects, Larry discreetly bought extra and stuffed it into Gengar’s stomach for ste. Just in case. Ba Earth, he would’ve hesitated to try such exotic foods, but ever since being a Nen user, his physical resilience had improved greatly. Plus, with Gardevoir by his side, he wasn’t worried about food poisoning.

  Money wasn’t an issue either. After cashing ireasures he had collected from the Karym Ruins, Larry ractically swimming ih. He indulged himself freely, buying anything that caught his eye without a sed thought. Even his camel wasn’t left out—Larry generously bought it several multi-ball cacti to mun during their stroll. Taking a rge bite of the dried lizard, he heard a satisfying ch. The crispy exteriave way to surprisingly tender, juicy meat inside—remi of beef but even more suct.

  The market had more than just food—there were sparkling yellow stohat resembled gold, desert-themed clothing, and specialized tools for desert exploration. But what intrigued Larry the most was a local specialty: the Gilded t pass.

  The Gilded ts were uo Gordeau Desert, found nowhere else in the world. Their striking golden bodies were much rger than regur ants, roughly the size of a human knuckle. The most fasatiure was the sharp antenna on their heads, which secreted aed pheromones with incredible accuracy. These ants had araordinary ability—no matter how far they traveled, they could always find their way back to their inal , even from thousands of miles away.

  This trait made them indispensable to desert travelers. Each y of ants was tied exclusively to its birthpce, meaning people could use them as reliable navigation tools. The pass itself was simple in design. Five smaller Gilded ts were pced inside a circur stoe, covered with a gss dome. The corresponding city the ants inated from was inscribed on the side of the pass. For example, the one Larry now held in his hand poiowards Esharat, a city hundreds of miles away. It reminded him of the Log Pose from One Piece.